A Microeconomic Perspective on Water Resources Management: Analyzing the Effects on Optimal Land Rents Along a River Basin

Water scarcity is becoming an increasingly relevant issue in many regions of the world as demand for water continues to grow. As a result, the need for finding measures that efficiently allocate increasingly scarce water resources has become a primary topic on the agendas of many water resource management authorities. This paper presents an innovative approach that provides further insight into the connection between hydrological, environmental, and economic aspects along a river basin. In short, it analyzes how land rents along a river basin are affected by managing water pollution along a river basin, given certain hydrological characteristics of the river basin. Results show that, without the implementation of a water management system to control water quality, the negative external effects of upstream water discharges on downstream locations can be internalized through a decrease in downstream land rents. However, the analysis presented in this paper also reveals that it is not only the absence or the presence of a water management system that has a significant impact on the real estate market along the river basin. Moreover, the market outcome also varies with the type of water resources management system implemented.     

Membrane phospholipids and sterols in microfiltered milk fat globules

Native milk fat globules of various mean diameters, ranging from d₄₃ = 2.3 µm to 8.0 µm, were obtained using microfiltration of raw whole milk. After milk fat globule washing, the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) was separated by manual churning. After total lipid extraction and separation of polar lipids, their phospholipid (PL) and sterol composition was measured using thin‐layer chromatography, methyl ester analyses by gas chromatography, and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The main PL species were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. The respective fatty acid composition of each PL species was measured. Many different minor bioactive sterols were detected in the MFGM, e.g. lanosterol, lathosterol, desmosterol, stigmasterol and β‐sitosterol. No significant differences in the PL and sterol profile were found between MFGM extracted from small and large milk fat globule fractions.     

Family therapy or child therapy: An open or shut case.

Discusses treatment disposition for child and adolescent patients and their families from the perspectives of family systems therapy and psychoanalytically oriented child psychotherapy. A review of the literature pertaining to treatment matching reveals that, although rapprochement between the 2 theories represents a significant advance in theory and practice, there are certain clinical situations in which only one approach is warranted. Careful assessment of each client's situation is recommended. Guidelines are provided to assist in modality selection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders.

Clinicians today face difficulties in appropriately assisting children with mood disorders, whose parents may challenge diagnostic and treatment decisions based on potentially faulty information obtained from unregulated sources (e.g., the Internet, commercial books, other media). In light of this problem, as well as the U.S. Surgeon General's recent call for increases in evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders, it is important that psychologists educate themselves and their clients about evidence-based practices. Evidence-based assessment and psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatment procedures for childhood unipolar and bipolar mood disorders are reviewed, and specific practice recommendations are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ferrate(VI) oxidation of glycine and glycylglycine: Kinetics and products

Amino acids and peptides may form potentially harmful disinfection byproducts during the conventional treatment of water and wastewater. Removal of these parent compounds by the use of the environmental-friendly oxidant, ferrate(VI) (Fe^VIO₄²⁻, Fe(VI)) was assessed by studying the kinetics of the oxidation of glycine (NH₃⁺CH₂COOH, Gly) and glycylglycine (NH₃⁺CH₂CONHCH₂COOH, Gly-Gly) as a function of pH (4.0-12.4) at 25 °C. This study with Gly-Gly represents an initial investigation of oxidation of peptides by Fe(VI). Generally, the second-order rate constant (k) increased with decreased pH in the basic pH region, but this trend was reversed in the acidic pH range. Consideration of the reactivity of three oxidants (H₂FeO₄, HFeO₄⁻, and FeO₄²⁻) with three species of Gly and Gly-Gly (positive, neutral, and negative) reasonably explained the pH dependence of the rates. At pH 9.0, the molar consumption of Fe(VI) was nearly equal to that of Gly. The reaction of Fe(VI) with Gly at molar ratios of 1.0 and 2.0 ([Fe(VI)]:[Gly]) produced ammonia, carbon dioxide, and acetate. A reaction scheme is proposed which explains the formation of these products. The values of k for oxidation of iminodiacetate and nitriloacetate at pH 7.0 were also determined in order to compare oxidation of amines by Fe(VI). The calculated half-lives at neutral pH for the oxidation of primary and secondary amines were in seconds while decomposition of tertiary amines would occur in minutes. Overall, the reactivity of Fe(VI) with Gly and Gly-Gly indicates the significant potential of Fe(VI) to remove amine- and peptide-containing pollutants in water and wastewater.     

UNICORE 6 — Recent and Future Advancements

UNICORE is a European Grid Technology with more than 10 years of history. Originating from the Supercomputing domain, the latest version UNICORE 6 has turned into a general-purpose Grid technology that follows established standards and offers a rich set of features to its users. The paper starts with an architectural insight into UNICORE 6, highlighting the workflow features, standards and the different clients. Next, the current state of advancement is presented by describing recent developments. The paper closes with an outlook on future planned developments.     

Non-Catalyzed and Pt/γ-Al2O3 Catalyzed Hydrothermal Cellulose Dissolution-Conversion: Influence of the Reaction Parameters

The dissolution of cellulose under 5 MPa of H₂ in the absence of catalyst is temperature and time dependant. The presence of Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ increases the initial rate of dissolution. The presence of H₂/Pt is essential although its exact role has not been well elucidated.     

Removal of the endocrine disrupter nonylphenol and its estrogenic activity in sludge treatment processes

The estrogenic compound nonylphenol (NP) is frequently found in sludge from sewage treatment works. Hence, when sewage sludge is spread on the land, endocrine-disrupting compounds may get into the soil. The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which aerobic mesophilic treatment in continuous reactors permits the removal of NP from sludge and how this process may be useful for treating anaerobically stabilised sludge. We also report on the behaviour of NP during the anaerobic treatment of sludge. The reduction in sludge estrogenic activity observed in the different types of treatment, as measured using estrogen-responsive reporter cells lines (MELN bioassay), was compared with NP removal rates. Under anaerobic conditions, no degradation of NP and its estrogenic activity was observed. Indeed, an accumulation of the compound occurred. In contrast, high removal of NP was achieved in aerobic conditions as well as in aerobic Post-treatment of anaerobically pre-digested sludge, with a concomitant reduction of the sludge's estrogenic potency.